Slant 11-21-2012

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November 21, 2012 - 10:00pm

• Thanksgiving is a big family holiday for some, a celebration of “America” for others and, for many indigenous peoples, a reminder of racism and genocide. We give big props first to members of the Eugene community for speaking out about their feelings about a flyer that advertised the “Spanksgiving” Fetish Ball using an image of a woman in facepaint and an “Indian headdress.” And second kudos to Diablos Fetish Night for immediately responding to those concerns from the Native community. You can catch some of the dialogue on EW’s and Diablos’ Facebook pages. As soon as Diablos knew there was an issue, the organizers responded, apologized and reached out to the indigenous community. A representative went to the UO’s Many Nations Longhouse and a conversation ensued. That’s pretty classy.

• The shopping season is upon us, for better or worse. Consumer spending drives our economy but we are also addicted as a nation to accumulating and consuming more “stuff” than we need, and exhausting our natural resources in the process. Black Friday, the highly profitable day after Thanksgiving, is also Buy Nothing Day in recognition of our excesses. The solution, of course, is to buy and consume wisely. The big box stores and their parking lots will be crowded, but we also hope to see strong consumer support for small, locally owned stores and festive gatherings like Holiday Market at the Fairgrounds. The holidays can also be an incredibly tough time for those among us who are lonely and down on their luck. Let’s share the love and the bounty.

• What’s happening with the Kesey Collection at the UO Knight Library? The massive archives contain thousands of original manuscripts, letters, personal journals and artwork from the novelist’s lifetime. The collection has been valued at more than $1 million and private collectors are interested in it, along with other university libraries. So far about $300,000 has been raised and a memorandum of understanding is being negotiated with the Kesey family in order to keep the collection at the UO. According to Keri Aronson, director of development of UO libraries. Aronson could not provide details concerning the MOU, but she is upbeat. “We’ve had checks come in from all over the world and we’ve had donations ranging from $1 to $25,000,” she tells us. “Ken touched so many lives with his powerful words and personality. I feel very lucky to be involved in this project. I have met so many wonderful people and each and every one of them has their own story about Ken.”

The latest community fundraising effort was by Voodoo Doughnuts, which raised $10,000 with its “Easy Kesey Lemon Pesey” doughnuts with special psychedelic colors and a chewy cube of “acid” on top. The treats have been selling at all three Voodoo shops since July, says Sara Heise of Voodoo. A press conference was held last week by Voodoo owners Tres Shannon and Kenneth “Cat Daddy” Pogson to announce the $10,000 donation. Photos of the colorful event, which drew a big crowd at UO but got little attention from the media, can be found at wkly.ws/1dz and anyone wanting to organize a fundraiser or otherwise contribute can contact Aronson at keria@uoregon.edu or check out the Kesey Collection Facebook page.

• Oregon’s Ducks tripped over Stanford Saturday and Duck fans are aching. Losing hurts, but fans should be celebrating that Oregon has gone 44-7 over the past four seasons — as good as any team in the nation. Just think, you could be an Auburn fan. The Tigers won the national championship two years ago and looked ready to dominate for years. But this year Auburn is 3-8 and has not won a conference game. The Ducks’ loss to Stanford may have knocked them out of the national championship, but we should enjoy their excellence on the field. What’s next? We continue our stunning prediction record: The Beavers are up next and the Ducks will need to bounce back fast. Coach Kelly’s Oregon teams have never lost two in a row, so they should roll over OSU by 21 points at noon this Saturday in Corvallis.

• Another unneeded Walmart in the metro area? We hear the retail giant plans to open a new, smaller store in the Gateway Shopping Center area in Springfield. That area is already heavily congested and this comes at a time when downtown Springfield is starting to show some life. Walmart promises jobs but always has a net negative impact on communities when you figure in the small businesses that are killed, and the non-union wages and hours that keep most Walmart employees in poverty and relying on public services.